Random Facts or the Will of Fate?
by GlaringEyes
Summary: A butterfly flap can cause a hurricane halfway across the world. Were all these events coincidence, or was it the Will of Akasha? A series of random short stories set in the Nasuverse. FSN x Tsukihime x KnK crossover. Rated M just to be sure.
1. Fact 01 - The Tragedy of the Fujou

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 01 – THE TRAGEDY OF THE FUJOU<strong>

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Characters: Kohaku (Tsukihime), Kirie Fujou (Kara no Kyoukai)

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A doll. A broken doll. That's how Kohaku felt.

In her bedroom, she was trying to get some rest until she had to prepare dinner later. The TV (one of the few that existed in the mansion, since the residents weren't fond of modern appliances) was on, but she wasn't paying attention to it. She was pretty much just lying on her back, staring at the ceiling with emotionless eyes.

Just hours ago she had another of her sessions with the master of the house, Makihisa Tohno. And by 'session', it meant she had shared her vital energy with him through sexual intercourse, despite the fact she just was a little more than a child. And such sessions were becoming more and more frequent, as his sanity plunged lower and lower.

And strangely it hadn't hurt as much as before. She hadn't felt as disgusted by his breath, or as repulsed by his touch as the first time he had done it to her. Yes, she remembered clearly the first time: she had been only eight and Makihisa had called her to his room under the pretense of a birthday present. Little she had know what this 'present' was.

But it didn't matter anymore. Her mind had gone numb and her entire nerves had become insensitive after years of abuse. Call it a body self-defense mechanism or even a broken soul. It sent chills to her spine that she was ever getting used to it, but even if she would turn into (as per-said) a doll, if that meant Hisui would stay untouched, then Kohaku would gladly subject herself to this fate. In a way, she could even say she and her sister were rather fortunate to have a family willing to accept them, even considering the price she was paying.

Kohaku knew she didn't have much of a choice anyway. Being orphans of a cast out family of psychics, she and Hisui had nowhere to go after the death of their mother. She recalled that Makihisa had mentioned that her real family had once been part of an organization that hunted half-demons like the Tohno. That her family possessed powerful psychic abilities, which involved projecting themselves onto other mediums, including other peoples' bodies. Because of that ability, she and Hisui could transfer their vital energy to others via exchange of fluids. Makihisa of course wasn't supposed to tell her this information, but the man was so out of his mind sometimes that he ended up blurting out a lot of secrets unconsciously.

Deep inside, Kohaku knew that Makihisa couldn't be blamed for this. He was born with the cursed blood of the Tohno and thus needed her ability as a Synchronizer, with which she and Hisui were born. Nobody chooses how they will be born, so no one was to blame for that. Yet it was necessary to keep his human sanity for as long as possible. At least until he managed to train Akiha into the next head of the family.

Speaking of whom, Kohaku wondered how the young mistress had been doing these years. Ever since that fateful day years ago, when the older son of the Tohno inverted and almost killed the adopted son, things in the mansion had never been the same anymore. The older son, SHIKI, had been imprisoned in the basement, but to the world he was dead. The adopted son, who was called Shiki as well, had survived, but was given to a branch family of the Tohno as soon as recovered. Hisui, once cheerful, had turned depressed. Akiha, deprived of her two brothers, had also turned depressed and resentful of her father, a condition made only worse due to Makihisa's harsh training to make her a worthy head of family. Even with Akiha still living in the mansion, Kohaku had barely any time to talk to her, so busy she was with all the lessons and studies.

She would still see SHIKI on a daily basis though, since Kohaku was the one responsible to bring him food in the basement. That naturally wasn't a pleasant task, for the older son of the Tohno seemed so out of mind as his father. But she wondered about the adopted son, Shiki. Even if she hadn't known him very well, Kohaku somehow found him more likeable than anyone else in the mansion, save for her sister. She would never forget the times when she watched him, Akiha, Hisui and SHIKI playing on the mansion gardens from the window, him waving to and asking her to join them. In a way, that boy had earned a special place in her heart, so much that she had even given him her favorite ribbon as a parting gift when he departed from the mansion.

"... Fujou."

A word of the TV caught Kohaku's attention as she lifted her head to see what it was showing. Apparently it was the evening news, the reporter speaking to the camera with a large, decaying building in the background.

"The eighth person to jump of the Fujou building was confirmed to be Kirie Fujou-san, the daughter of the deceased owner of the building, Yasuki Fujou."

'Fujou' she thought. The surname Fujou wasn't strange to her at all. It definitely had some connection to her. She knew it not only from Makihisa's blurt outs, but also from the files he kept about his associates. Being his confidant, Kohaku had free access to both his room and his office, where he kept the files. In one of them, she remembered seeing this name, together with three others: Nanaya, Ryougi and Asagami. Apparently those four families were the ones that opposed the half-demons and were considered enemies by the Tohno. Next to the Fujou name specifically, there were notations which referenced her and Hisui. So, combined with what she knew from Makihisa, she could only postulate that this was the family she came from.

There were a few notes next to the Nanaya name too, although they referenced Shiki. But she already knew that, for it was common knowledge in the mansion that the adopted son came from the Nanaya, considered the strongest of the four families. Therefore, they were also the most hated and perhaps the reason why the boy was regarded with contempt by the rest of the mansion (and made Kohaku even wonder if that was the reason why Hisui and her were so fond of him).

The reporter continued on. "Kirie-san had an incurable illness and had been hospitalized for the last 10 years. She was 27. Different from the previous seven suicides that happened in the same place, she was not a high schooler and it's speculated that the suicide was caused by depression over her illness. Therefore, the authorities consider this case unrelated to the previous ones."

From what Kokahu understood, the reporter was talking about a series of deaths that had been happening in the neighboring town of Mifune. The victims were all young girls who had jumped of a building in the time frame of a few months. However, none of the girls had any historic of depression or mental illnesses, nor shared anything in common with each other, which baffled greatly the investigators. This one though, seemed different.

"According to the hospital, not only her father, but her entire family had died in a car accident not long after she had been hospitalized. So it might have added to her depression."

The TV was turned off by remote control. Kohaku didn't want to hear anymore of that.

Especially because it reminded her of her own situation. Alone in her misery, no one to understand or comfort her, not even Hisui, for she wouldn't stand letting her sister know what she was doing to keep her safe.

And it didn't help too that the one who died supposedly happen to be a family relative.

Kohaku wasn't sure why did she care. She didn't even remember her own mother's face, let alone the other members of the Fujou. So it was not like her birth family should hold any meaning to her. She also had killed all her emotions to bear Makihisa's brutal treatment. So any other death that is not Hisui's should not be of any importance to her.

Still why did it bother her?

A knock on her door. Whoever it was didn't wait for a response and simply opened it. The face of a man, more frog than person, stuck out of the gap. It was Tonami Kugamine, one of the mansion residents and a relative of the Tohno. Surprisingly this man happened to be Akiha's fiance, much to the latter's chagrin.

"Oh, there you are, Kohaku-chan," he said in his half-pervert, half-obnoxious voice. "If you're done resting, could you start making dinner? I'm sure Akiha-chan will appreciate a meal after her studies." He didn't wait for an answer again and simply left, as if his requests were meant to be promptly obeyed.

Kohaku slowly sat back on her bed, but didn't immediately stand up. She stared emotionless at the floor for a few minutes, a lot of thoughts going through her mind.

But as much as numb her mind had become, she couldn't avoid letting a small drop flow down her face, unconsciously or not.

Her mind, however, differed greatly from her stoic expression. Dark thoughts started whirling inside her head. The ugly mugs of revenge and resentment among them.

Finally she made way out of her room, toward the kitchen. But not before making a mental note to visit the basement later that night. It seemed SHIKI might be of use in the end.

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****September 1998.****


	2. Fact 02 - Waver's First Love

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 02 – WAVER'S FIRST LOVE<strong>

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Characters: Rin Tohsaka, Waver Velvet, Taiga Fujimura (Fate Stay Night - UBW)

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"I'm telling ya! This whole thing is fucked up!" Lord El-Melloi II, otherwise known as Waver Velvet, shouted in the middle of the hall.

"Yes, yes, I know." Rin answered in a shush voice, pinching the bridge of her nose as if on the verge of a migraine.

It wasn't like the young magus ever wanted to be there in first place. Clock Tower's social events were pretty much a pain in the ass, full of arrogant, obnoxious aristocrats. But she didn't have much of a choice: being a novice in the Magic Association, Rin had to stay in these aristocrats' good graces to get anything done with her research.

It didn't help either that her sponsor's drunk stupor was starting to draw the attention of other guests in the fancy party they were attending.

"It's always like that," Waver continued on, not turning down the volume in the slightest. "They ignore you all the time, but when they need someone to wipe their asses' clean, you're the first in the row. Then when you're done, they conveniently forget about you again!"

Now Rin was very close to a real migraine. Her sponsor and tutor in the Clock Tower, Lord El-Melloi II, was a grouchy and lousy-mouthed magus, whose office resembled more a teenager's basement than a research place. To say they didn't get along well was an understatement. She remembered the first time they had met, when Waver had called her the 'worst Japanese in the world' just because of her complete lack of interest in video games. Even so, Rin found him to be slightly more tolerable than most of the other magi around, so that was why she was putting up with his alcohol-induced, self-piteous complaints.

Not that sometimes she didn't have to suppress an urge to shoot a Gandr right on his face. 'Never bite the hand that feeds you', they said.

"I was supposed to have been promoted years ago. It was only because of politics that I didn't."

"Well, maybe if you spent more time doing your research than playing those kids games, you might have been." Rin risked a jab, a sign that her patient was already running thin.

"What was that?" Waver clearly didn't like her retort. "I did more for the Association than you can ever imagine! The only reason nobody recognize that is just for a little mistake that I did in the past, which was stealing the catalyst of that asshole Kayneth!"

Rin immediately froze with his blurt out. Yes, she knew, just like many others in the Clock Tower, that Waver had become a Master in the Fourth Grail War by stealing the summoning catalyst of his professor, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the previous Lord El-Melloi. She also knew that Kayneth didn't survive the war, leaving the Archibald family leaderless and forcing Waver to serve the family as a way of compensation. If anyone around heard Waver bad-mouthing the family he was serving, his career (and consequently _hers_ too) would be over.

"Uh, Lord El-Melloi, I think you've drunk a bit too much," she said in a forcibly cheerful tone, hoping that nobody had noticed his last statement. "Why don't we go to terrace for some fresh air?"

She didn't wait for a response and quickly pulled him to the manor's terrace under protests.

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"What was that for?" Waver complained while leaning on the garden's balcony, visibly irritated at being dragged there. "I didn't ask to come here, damn it!"

Rin groaned, visibly irritated too. "Gee, you're impossible! You really should watch your mouth before spitting out stupidities like a drunk sailor!"

He glared at her, and she glared back at him, but none of them said anything at all. In the end, Rin got tired of the glaring contest and simply leaned back on the balcony too. Her migraine had just gone worse. She sighed, taking in some nightly fresh air in hope of soothing the pain.

How she wished she was back at her apartment with Shirou. That lucky idiot who, being only her apprentice, was disobliged of attending this kind of event. They had been together ever since they had graduated from high school back in Fuyuki and moved to London to study magecraft. She couldn't wait until the night was over and she could head back to her boyfriend, in her run-down apartment (which was the only thing she could rent after wrecking one of the dormitories in a dispute over rooms).

"Fuck, you're so coarse," she heard Waver grumble. "Just like that girl I liked back in Fuyuki".

That comment caught Rin's attention. Did she hear it right? Had her sponsor _ever_ liked someone? And in Fuyuki, of all the places?

"Lord El-Melloi," she probed in carefully. "I didn't know you liked someone in my hometown."

The lord finished the wine glass he had brought with him and went on. "Yeah, but that was long ago... during the Grail War."

Now he had Rin's full attention. In a way, Rin always liked hearing her tutor's stories of the Fourth Grail War, as annoying as he could be at times. Not surprising, for she had been a Master too in the Fifth, that being one of the reasons they had connected, despite their constant quarrels. She was also curious about what kind of woman this over-aged teenager would ever be attracted to. And, even if Rin would never admit it to the world even under torture, she still held a tiny bit of romanticism in her heart.

She was about to ask more about it, but it wasn't necessary, for Waver started blabbering out of his own volition.

"It was around the middle of war. Rider and I had just finished a meeting with other Masters, when she fell off the roof of a house.

"We asked what she was doing up there and she said that was looking for a thief that had stolen a wine barrel from her friend's bar."

Waver snorted at the irony. "The thing was, it'd been me and Rider the ones to have stolen it." He looked at the now empty wine glass on his hand, wishing he had brought the bottle too.

"But of course we didn't tell her that. So, as compensation, we offered to help her find it, even if we knew nothing would come out of it.

"Things didn't go as smooth as we thought though. When we got to the river, she spotted a puppy drowning in and, before I could even register it, she jumped in to save it. The water was freezing and I don't think she ever could swim."

Rin's eyes then widened at this girl's recklessness. Strangely, such recklessness almost reminded her of a certain red-headed boy he knew way too well. "So, what did it happen?"

"We set off to save her, of course," the lord answered, as if it was obvious. "We ran along the shore and the moment she was within reach, I grabbed her hand. The current was too strong though and I almost got pulled into the river too. Thankfully, Rider caught me before that happened. As soon as she was back to safety, I scolded her, asking what the hell she was thinking for jumping down like that."

As saying that, Waver's face blushed a little. Whether it was due to the wine or something embarrassing, Rin couldn't tell.

"That was when she said that she'd trusted me and Rider to save her in case of danger. She said that she believed in human kindness and in the same way she was helping a friend in need, she believed we'd do the same for her.

"Can you believe that? That girl had known us for no longer than a few hours and she was already trusting her life to us. What kind of person would promptly sacrifice themselves for others like that?" Now Waver's face was too flushed to be only the wine's fault. "And that was when I started thinking she was quite cute."

Rin, on the other hand, was quite surprised. These concepts... trust, self-sacrifice, helpfulness... they were too familiar to her. Not because she practiced them, but because they matched perfectly the person of whom she was thinking before. If not for the person's gender, she would almost be sure Lord El-Melloi II was talking about Shirou.

"And it didn't end there," Waver continued. "Then she started chasing an underwear thief she saw sneaking out of a building. Next, she dragged us halfway across the town to find the puppy's owner. She even had the gall of saying I needed more exercise. Not to mention that idiotic Rider even tried to set me up with her. Gee, what a pushy girl she was, really.

"But it was getting late and the war would soon restart, so we had to send the girl home for her own safety. So I used hypnotic suggestion on her and we never saw each other again."

Waver finally finished his story. And along with the blush on his cheeks, his eyes bore a nostalgic expression.

"Wow, that was quite a story," Rin commented, genuinely impressed by it. He didn't seem to be making this up. 'A drunk man's talk is a sober man's thoughts', it was also said. "But you never thought of looking for her after the war?"

"Nah, never got her name," the lord brushed it off. "And it's been too long. I probably wouldn't even recognize her if I saw her again."

"Didn't she have any particular features? Something distinguishable about her?" Rin wasn't sure why she was probing so much into it. Playing matchmaker wasn't her thing. It was probably more out of sheer curiosity, since she never expected her grouchy tutor to have a soft side.

'And knowing a few of his weaknesses might come in handy if I ever want to get back at him,' the sinister part of her mind reminded.

"Hmm," Waver mused, as if in deep thought. "I recall she was wearing a high school uniform. I guess it was of that school of yours in Fuyuki. And she was carrying a bamboo sword...," he racked his brain further and completed. "Ah, and that sword had something like a miniature tiger attached to the hilt."

At this very moment, Rin's mouth curved into a very, _very_ wicked smile. That kind of smile that a typical movie villain would make before throwing the hero into a crocodiles pit. Maybe his head was still dazed by the alcohol, but Lord El-Melloi II didn't perceive it.

Oh yes, that feeling of familiarity she had during all the narrative wasn't there for nothing. She knew way too well of whom he was talking about. Oh, she definitely couldn't wait until she got home and told Shirou what she just learned. She would love to see her boyfriend's face after she told him the news.

Actually, scratch that. She couldn't wait until she phoned Fuyuki and invited Fujimura-sensei over to London for some vacation.

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****Sometime in 2006.****


	3. Fact 03 - Family Secrets

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 03 – FAMILY SECRETS<strong>

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Characters: Akiha Tohno (Tsukihime), Fujino Asagami (Kara no Kyoukai)

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It would have been just another ordinary day in Asagami's Ladies Academy, with its students going out for the lunch pause before the afternoon period began.

Except for Akiha Tohno. No, this day was very special for her.

For it would be the day her older brother would finally return home after a long absence.

Oh, how she had missed her beloved brother for all those years. Ever since he had been sent to live with the Arima family eight years ago, she had longed for the time when they would finally be reunited and be called a family again. No matter that Shiki Tohno wasn't her real brother, she still loved him in every way that counted.

Of course, their long awaited reunion would have to wait until evening, when they both would be released of their respective schools and meet accordingly at the Tohno Mansion, the family house. Being taught to keep composure regardless of the situation, Akiha did her best to conceal her excitement over seeing her brother again. Still, she couldn't avoid humming a happy tune while she ate her packed meal, sat on a bench at the school garden (of course, she could have easily purchased something at the cafeteria, but no food could beat Kohaku's cooking in her opinion).

Normally she would eat with her classmates, but today she wanted some time for herself, as if mentally preparing herself for that evening. For now, all that she wanted was to appreciate the calmness of the lush garden, only the chirping of birds eventually breaking the silence.

Until another sound broke it. It seemed like footsteps, and something metallic too. With a bit of annoyance at the interruption of the tranquility, Akiha looked at the source. It was another girl, apparently a few years older than herself, with long, lavender-colored hair and wearing the same fuku uniform as her. On her left hand, a wrapped box, probably her lunch. On her right hand, a walking stick, the kind that blind people used to navigate their surroundings. She was slowly heading towards Akiha, although unaware of her presence.

Akiha immediately recognized her as Fujino Asagami, the daughter of the school principal, as by her surname. As she recalled, Fujino was a transfer student from Reien's Girls Academy, another girls-only school in the neighboring town of Mifune. It had been just an year since she arrived, but apparently she didn't make many friends here so far. Had it been anyone else, Akiha would have simply ignored and watch her pass, but Fujino wasn't someone to whom she could do that, either due to her disability and to the relationship they shared.

"Asagami-senpai," Akiha called.

Fujino looked toward the source of the voice, as if recognizing it. "That voice... is that you, Tohno-san?"

"Yes, it is me. Are you going to have lunch? You may sit here," Akiha stated, placing her own lunch box aside on the bench and standing up to help the older girl.

The lavanderette stood silent for a few seconds, as though pondering over it. "Uh, thank you, Tohno-san," she answered, allowing her junior to guide her to the bench. "I usually eat here at the garden, but I didn't expect to find you here."

"Well, normally I don't," replied Akiha. "But today I wanted some time for myself, so I came to eat here."

"Oh, I am not interrupting you, am I?"

"Of course not," the younger girl assured. She was always impressed at how polite her senior was. Not surprising, for the Asagami were an aristocratic family like the Tohno, so proper etiquette was a given. Or at least, it was supposed to be. She had lost account of how many of her equally-wealthy colleagues displayed manners befitting a truck driver.

When they were both seated, they began (or resumed, in Akiha's case) eating their meals quietly. It had been a few minutes until one of them finally spoke.

"You seem to be in good mood, Tohno-san," Fujino commented, getting a surprised look of Akiha. She elaborated further, "I could hear you humming when I arrived. Did anything good happen?"

The raven-haired girl looked slightly embarrassed for being caught losing her coolness and blushed a bit (for which she was thankful that her senior couldn't see). She thought about giving a white lie, like the food being delicious and so, but... well, it was not like the reason of her contentment was anything secret or so. In fact, talking about it might even help her keep her excitement in check until evening.

"Uh, the fact is, Senpai..." she hesitated. "My Nii-san is finally coming back after eight years."

"Oh, this is wonderful," Fujino gave a hearty smile, although a sharp observer would say a bit forced too. "You really must have missed him after so long."

"I did," she replied, in a slightly sad voice. "Father had sent him away and only now he was allowed to return."

"Uh, about your father, Makihisa Tohno-sama," the lavenderette began, seeming unsure if she should touch the subject. "I heard in the news that he has passed away. My condolences."

"Thank you," Akiha politely answered, but she didn't really mean it. In the back of her mind, Akiha had never forgiven Makihisa for sending her brother away from her. Scratch that, she actually hated everything about him. She hated him for murdering her brother's real family long ago. She hated him for keeping her brother afterwards as a mere tool for his twisted purposes. She hated him for the way he treated Kohaku for so many years. She hated him for so many things that she was not ashamed of being internally relieved that her own father had finally died.

Of course, Akiha would never say it aloud to anyone. Her hatred would die with her father, she had already decided.

"By the way," the younger girl changed the subject, trying to shake these negative thoughts off her head. "I also have to thank your father for allowing me to stay at home."

Asagami's Ladies Academy was a boarding school, so that meant all students were required to live at the dormitories. However, under certain circumstances, students were permitted to live outside the school grounds and commute to there on a daily basis. Such permissions, of course, were rare, but Akiha had managed to get one due to, in no small part, the fact that her father was friends with the school principal, her Senpai's father. It irked her, but she had to admit that it was only thanks to this arrangement that she could stay with her brother.

In fact, it was even surprising that their respective families were friends at all. Being the current head of the Tohno family, Akiha was fully aware that the Asagami used to be a part of an organization that opposed demons, or anything partially demon (which was the case for the Tohno). Ironically however, they ended up interbreeding with demons themselves, their own blood turning mixed. As a result, they had long retired from the demon hunting and made a living in the construction business. She had heard that even Asagami's Ladies Academy itself had been built by the large construction company owned by them. All that considered, it hadn't been hard for the Tohno to forge an alliance with the former demon hunters. 'Let bygones be bygones', as they said.

"Oh, that was no problem at all," Fujino reassured. "Father would be happy to know that you will be reunited with your brother. Family...," she started, just to hesitate. "Family matters, after all."

Maybe it was only impression, but Akiha could notice a faint tint of bitterness on her friend's last remark.

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The food was supposed to taste delicious. The autumn sun should have felt warm on her skin. The air of the gardens should have smelled fresh and flowery.

But nothing of that she could sense. Taste, touch, smell... and now even her sight was practically gone. Only her hearing still kept her in contact with the outside world. Only the perception of sounds still differentiated her from a living corpse. The walking stick she carried was made of metal for a good reason: she guided herself by the metallic clangs it produced, not by the pressure on her hand, to which she was insensitive. It had been hard in the beginning, but with lots of practice, she got accustomed to navigate her surroundings just through sound. That, together with her innate ESP skills, had made her as accurate as a bat's sonar.

Still, life was anything but easy for Fujino Asagami.

After the fateful Broad Bridge incident back in Mifune years ago, her father had wasted no time in covering up the entire case. It had taken months for the head of the Asagami to explain the whole thing to the authorities (especially because it involved taxpayers' money), but considering that the bridge construction was being handled by her family's company, it had worked quite well.

The worst part, however, was the suspicion of Fujino having a connection with the serial killings that had preceded the bridge collapse, either as a victim or an accomplice. Whatever the case, such rumors had become so widespread that, before the family's reputation got any more tarnished, Mr. Asagami had immediately transferred his daughter from Reien to Asagami Academy, in order to keep a stricter surveillance over her.

It might have worked well for the family, but not for Fujino. Not only did she miss her friends from Reien, but being under her father's close surveillance meant going back to the strong painkillers that turned her entire body insensitive. And there she was again: like a trapped soul, imprisoned in her own body. In addition, the same rumors that haunted her back in Mifune had eventually reached the ears of her schoolmates here in Misaki too. In this era of technology, no information stayed in oblivion for long. As a result, Fujino wasn't able to make many friends here. Nobody dared to accuse her of anything, of course, since her father owned the school, but no one approached her either.

Except Akiha Tohno. Of all the students in the Academy, Akiha was the only one who talked to her in a frequent basis. Fujino had eventually learned that Akiha was the daughter of Makihisa Tohno, an old friend of her father. The psychic wasn't sure if that was the reason Akiha trusted her, but in a way, she was happy to have someone to talk to. That was why they were currently having a meal together.

"You seem to be in good mood, Tohno-san," Fujino said, wanting to start a conversation. "I could hear you humming when I arrived. Did anything good happen?"

Fujino noticed Akiha got silent for several seconds. For a moment, she wondered if she had asked something improper.

"Uh, the fact is, Senpai..." she heard Akiha begin, in a hesitant but thankfully not unkind tone, almost as if she was embarrassed. That was one of the things she liked about Akiha: she always kept an aura of propriety around her, but sometimes she let it slip, showing a bit of her real personality. Somehow, it reminded her of Azaka Kokutou, her best friend back in Reien. "My Nii-san is finally coming back after eight years."

"Oh, this is wonderful," Fujino smiled, trying to sound genuinely happy for Akiha. It wasn't like Fujino was a coldhearted person, but people insensitive to pain like her had never learned much about empathy. Consequentially, pretending her best to feel empathetic was the only thing she could do, based on the notions of social convention she had. "You really must have missed him after so long."

"I did. Father had sent him away and only now he was allowed to return."

Fujino noticed a slight semblance of what could be sadness in her friend's voice. Perhaps it had to do with Makihisa Tohno's recent death. Being a great financial name in Misaki, such incident with the head of the Tohno was stamped on all local newspapers. The causa mortis had never been revealed though, the family claiming their right to keep their internal matters in private.

"Uh, about your father, Makihisa Tohno-sama," the lavenderette began, mindful of the subject. "I heard in the news that he has passed away. My condolences."

"Thank you," was Akiha's short and polite response, only to immediately change the subject. "By the way, I also have to thank your father for allowing me to stay at home."

Again, as per said, Fujino was never good at understanding others' feelings, but one should expect to be sad about their own parent's death, shouldn't they? Maybe she was mistaken, but Akiha's quick dismissal of the subject didn't make it seem so. Could it be that her friend was so sad that she didn't want to talk about her father's death? But if it was so, she wouldn't be humming happily even if her brother was returning. Or... could it be that she didn't care about it at all? Could she have despised her father instead?

Maybe it was one of those rarest occasions when you meet a kindred soul, even if you didn't realize it. If there was someone who understood about parental abandonment, it was Fujino Asagami. Her father – or more accurate, stepfather – was, for the lack of a better word, a terrible father. He had married her mother only desiring the family's title and lands, his wife and daughter being only extras. No matter how much effort Fujino put into being a good daughter or a model student, to her father she was only a liability. So much that her transference to Misaki was just to make sure she wouldn't damage the family's reputation further. So, as long as she took her medicine regularly and didn't cause any trouble, she could be left to rot that he wouldn't care.

Fujino ever wondered if Akiha had suffered anything similar to justify her hatred for her father.

"Oh, that was no problem at all," she finally replied. "Father would be happy to know that you will be reunited with your brother. Family... family matters, after all."

A uncomfortable silence ensued between the two girls. Each of them waited if the other would say something, until the bell rang, signalizing the end of lunch pause.

.

"Oh, has it been that long?" Akiha said, wrapping her finished lunch box. "We should head back. Do you need any help?"

"Thanks, but it won't be necessary," Fujino politely refused the offer. "I can handle myself. You should hurry, Tohno-san."

"If you say so," the half-demon stood up and started walking towards the school building. "Then, I am going now. It has been a pleasure, Asagami-senpai."

Akiha had walked a few meters before she heard her Senpai calling. "Ah, Tohno-san. Your brother... what is his name?"

The younger girl raised an eyebrow at the strange question. Why would her Senpai want to know her brother's name? It was not like she intended to bring him here and introduce him to other girls (she would be damned if she did!). Well, it wouldn't hurt to answer anyway.

"Shiki," Akiha answered matter-of-factually. "His name is Shiki."

It might have been just impression again, but Akiha could have sworn to see a flash of horror cross Fujino's face. Only for an instant though, for she quickly recollected herself.

"I see," the lavenderette muttered and, as putting an end to the talk, started gazing at the sky absent-absentmindedly.

Akiha looked confused at the other girl and shrugged, making her way back to school. Her Senpai could be weird sometimes.

"Shiki. His name is Shiki."

With those words, a feeling of dread instantly wormed its way into Fujino's mind. A long past image of a figure with glowing blue eyes and a red coat paralyzed her thoughts in fear. That only lasted for a moment though. Such figure was a female, and the person Akiha was referring to was her brother, a male.

There was no way they could be the same person. It was just temporary insanity of hers.

"I see," Fujino said, only to start reminiscing old memories. Fond memories.

Fond memories of an older, handsome boy she had met long ago, when she was still in elementary school. Short black hair, with black-rimmed glasses and a kind demeanor. A Senpai she had met again only days before she had clashed against the glowing blue-eyed figure.

It made Fujino wonder about the brother that Akiha was so happy to see again. Would he be anything like the Senpai she had once known?

Perhaps one day she would like to know him.

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****October 2000.****


	4. Fact 04 - Corruption in the Church

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 04 – CORRUPTION IN THE CHURCH<strong>

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Characters: Kirei Kotomine (Fate Stay Night), Ciel, Merem Solomon (Tsukihime - Ciel's Good Ending)

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'Curry is the best.'

That was the prominent thought in Ciel's mind at the moment. There was nothing better than a good dish of steaming rice topped with extra-spicy curry sauce after a well-succeeded mission. It was a sensation only second to a hot, relaxing bath after a hard day of work.

It had been three days since the seventh of the Burial Agency had returned from a important mission in the German Black Forest. Narbareck, the leader of said organization, had sent her there to eliminate a powerful demon. And not just any demon, but a Dead Apostle Ancestor, one of the first descendents of the Type-Moon race and the elite of the vampire aristocracy.

Forest of Einnashe, the seventh (the same rank as hers, ironically) of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, the 'Demon of Schwarzwald', the 'Living Forest', among other names, was one of the most difficult opponents she had ever dealt with. Of course, she wouldn't have expected any less of a Dead Apostle Ancestor, but a fifty-kilometers-wide sentient forest that could literally devour you wasn't the type of enemy she could have hoped to fight alone.

The fact that she was no longer immortal had made it all the hardest, for the wouldn't be able to revive back in case she got mortally wounded. Make no mistake, Ciel was happy to finally be free of Roa's influence and become mortal again. Being the Serpent of Akasha's pawn for so many years wasn't something she would want to go through again. However, given the nature of her job, she had to admit that it came in handy sometimes. Part of her even suspected that Narbareck had sent her on this mission only to get rid of her, for she had lost much of her usefulness without the immortality.

But in the end, everything had gone well. All thanks to the unexpected help of Shiki Tohno, her former underclassman and current lover. His Mystic Eyes of Death Perception had been just what she needed to destroy a collective entity like Einnashe. From what Shiki had told her, he had also gone to Germany (despite her constant warnings for him not to get involved in the Church's business) to collect the Fruit of Einnashe, the core of the demon. Said fruit had the property of lessening bloodlust, and Shiki wanted that for Arcueid. Apparently the True Ancestor's vampiric impulses were getting so strong that if they didn't stop it somehow, Shiki would have to choose between killing her or being killed by her.

The thought of her rival brought a momentary pang of jealousy into her mind. It still irked her that she had to 'share' Shiki with that airheaded vampire, so much that Ciel wouldn't have minded taking Arcueid out of picture. But Shiki seemed to love Arcueid too, so if anything happened to her, he would be plain miserable and that would make Ciel unhappy. That was why the executress was willing to put up with this three-way relationship: as long as Shiki was happy, she would tolerate the arrangement (so long as he didn't ask for a threesome or anything of the sort!). And if Arcueid claimed she was fine with Shiki liking someone else too, there was no way Ciel would lose to her. She wouldn't be the first to back away of the relationship, no matter what.

Ciel's mind snapped back to the present as she spotted her destination: Fuyuki Church, a lone building located on top of a hill in the homonymous city. She had never been told why was called to this faraway place, a good four hours drive from Misaki City, but apparently it was important, since it was Merem Solomon, her colleague of the Burial Agency, who had requested it. So, hopping from a lamppost to other, she made way to the building, taking advantage of the night darkness.

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Fuyuki Church was larger than it appeared from the outside. The impressive chapel and the huge hallways with a good number of pews made it clear that this place had many patrons. There was no comparison with the smaller churches in Misaki, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise, for Fuyuki was known for having plenty of foreign inhabitants. No wonder that this city was considered one of the Holy Church's main strongholds in Japan. The place being empty due to late hours made it seem all the larger.

Empty, except for one person. Sat on the first row, a boy with shoulder-length black hair in a long, white tunic, stared forward at the altar, seemingly unaware of her presence. But Ciel wasn't fooled, for no one would be able to sneak up on Merem Solomon, fifth of the Burial Agency and twentieth of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors.

"So you have arrived," Merem said, still face forward, yet recognizing her presence.

"Why did you call me?" Ciel asked bluntly. It wasn't like she was impatient, but members of the Burial Agency rarely met, and when it happened, it was usually of importance, so she might as well get straight to business. That, and the fact that she was a long way from Misaki, so the longer she stayed, the more time Arcueid would have with Shiki. _Her_ Shiki.

"Always straight to business," the Dead Apostle chuckled. "First off, let me just congratulate you on your last mission. Killing Forest of Einnashe was an incredible feat."

"I didn't do it alone, and you know it," the executress dismissed it. She never sought appraisal for her job, but rather atonement for her past sins as Elesia. "And you had a part in it too."

"Oh, I merely guided your friend back there to the core, nothing more." Merem replied in modesty. "It just felt right to do so, since he was trying to help the Princess."

Ciel frowned slightly at the mention of Arcueid's moniker. The fact that Merem was a Dead Apostle Ancestor already made it all strange that he was also a member of the Burial Agency, the Church's elite hunters. But again, Ciel herself had once been a Dead Apostle's incarnation, and there she was too. Besides, Merem had already proved his loyalty to the Church more often than not. But the fact that the vampire boy had a great admiration to Arcueid, to the point of referring her as 'Princess', made Ciel wonder if that was the reason she disliked talking to him so much.

"But enough of pleasantries," Merem said, turning into a more serious demeanor. "There is a reason I have called you here. Since you are the executor in charge of the Misaki region, I thought you should know of it," he paused for a few moments, as if building up suspense, and continued. "The fifth installment of the Holy Grail War will take place here in Fuyuki two years from now."

Ciel was shocked at the message. Yes, like many Church agents, she was aware of the existence of the Holy Grail War, also known as the Heaven's Feel by the Magic Association. It was supposed to be a powerful summoning ritual in which the almighty Holy Grail would be brought forth. Of course, this Holy Grail had nothing to do with the goblet containing the Savior's blood according to the Bible. Still, it was an artifact of unfathomable power, capable of granting any desire, and therefore was not something the Church could simply turn a blind eye to. However, as far was Ciel remembered, no one had managed to summon the Grail even once since the beginning of the wars, and an attempt was made every sixty years. The last one had been about eight years ago, so it should be another fifty or so years until the next.

But two years... that was soon. Too soon.

"But how..." she tried to form a question, only for Merem to cut her off.

"Don't ask me," he held up his palm, dismissively. "It was the higher-ups in Rome who told me so, and apparently they heard it of the Magic Association itself. The only certainty is that the Fifth Holy Grail War will happen in two years."

"I... see," Ciel responded, not happy with this development. And with reason: the previous war had been a bloody nightmare. A carnage, to be more accurate. The Great Fuyuki Fire had been a tragedy beyond imagination, with thousands of victims, among wounded and dead. For the ordinary people, the fire had been caused by a gas leakage, but the Church and the Association knew the real cause. One could have hoped that they had learned their lesson and shut the ritual off for good, but apparently some lessons never stuck. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Ciel could do about it. She couldn't disobey a direct order from Rome. "So I take the Church will act as a mediator like in the previous wars?"

"Officially, yes," the Dead Apostle answered. "But as it has always been done, the Vatican will secretly arrange for a competitor. It is not like they could simply ignore such a powerful ritual."

No surprise there. Ciel already knew that, despite all the talk about cooperation, the Church and the Association still distrusted each other, so if there was any means of destroying the other side, they would go for it. For the Vatican, the use of magecraft itself was a heresy, hence all magi were heretics by consequence. It had been like that since the Middle Ages.

"Has the mediator been chosen already?" She asked, only to sense a presence coming from the hallway shaded side.

"That would be me, Sister Ciel," a grave, dark voice spoke up, coming from said presence. The figure behind it was a very tall man, around his thirties, dressed in black priest robes and with a golden crucifix hanging from his neck.

"Kirei Kotomine!" Ciel growled, narrowing her eyes as she immediately recognized the man. Very few members of the Church hadn't heard of the prodigy executor of the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament, the guardians of the Holy Relics. The executor who had succeeded through all his assigned missions with ruthless efficiency. The one who had survived a team mission with Narbareck in Czech Republic and helped capturing the Dead Apostle Ancestor Gransurg Blackmore. The one who had participated in the last Grail War and survived to tell the story. And no other Church member would exhale such an ominous aura that made him more akin to a devil than a man of God.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Kirei exchanged greetings, ignoring the hostile look the executress was shooting at him. "Although I daresay I never could have expected the visit of both the fifth and the seventh of the Burial Agency."

Kirei's tone was calm and friendly, but Ciel never lowered her guard. "You say you're going to be the Overseer in the next Grail War?" She inquired, warily.

"That is correct," Kirei smoothly replied. "The Vatican needed someone impartial, but experienced in the matter, to mediate the contest. Hence they have asked me."

Ciel looked at Merem for confirmation, to which the Dead Apostle responded with a nod. She couldn't believe it. 'Impartial'? 'Experienced'? If by that, the priest before her meant that he had manipulated all the contestants and turned the war into an even bloodier event than it already was. It was no secret that Kirei's father, Risei Kotomine, had been the mediator back then, while Kirei himself had been a Master. Risei, however, had been killed during the course of the war, and from then on, the competition was left without a referee. There were a lot of rumors about Kirei, like him being responsible for killing the Master he was supposed to be working with, and even that he had a part on the Great Fuyuki Fire that ensued, but there were no proofs. And since two of the other Masters were the infamous Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya himself, and the other, a low profile children murderer, it had been all to easy to place the blame on them. But, of course, Ciel knew better than taking official reports at face value.

"How's that possible?" She murmured, in repressed outrage. "How's it possible that you, who had broken the rules of the last Grail War, could be chosen to be the mediator this time?"

The priest was silent for several long moments, although his expression never changed. Eventually he said "These are some harsh allegations, Sister Ciel, but you can, of course, take your claims to your superiors if you have any proof."

Ciel scoffed at that. Yeah, as if they would do anything. Considering the amount of dirt the Church had been sweeping under the carpet over the years, she had no hopes that any investigation against Kirei would be called for. In addition, she knew that her direct boss, Narbareck, had taken a liking to Kirei ever since that mission to capture Blackmore, so she highly doubted they would take her seriously.

"What are you're planning, Kotomine?" She no longer tried to hide her mistrust. "Don't take me for dumb. If you've accepted this mediation task, considering that your own father was killed by it, then you must be up to something."

Kirei, on the other hand, was as calm as before. "You take me for a vile conspirator, Sister Ciel. But rest assured, for the Church has made it all clear that they do not desire a repetition of the Fuyuki tragedy. Thus I intend to uphold my duties in this war thoroughly."

But Ciel was unwavering. She simply couldn't trust Kotomine's goodwill. Heck, she wouldn't even be surprised if he kept tortured orphans in his basement just to feed some demonic entity (a thought that she meant as a joke, but somehow sent a chill down her spine). She definitely didn't want a tragedy like the Fuyuki Fire to happen again. It reminded her all too much of her own home village back in France, while she had been under Roa's influence. "Then perhaps you won't mind if I stayed and helped keeping watch on things, will you?"

Kirei seemed about to retort, but Merem beat him to it. "Unfortunately, Ciel, the Church gave express orders that no other Church member but Kotomine should take part in this. The Association will consider any other interference as a breach of their agreement, as per said." His tone was grim, as if he too wasn't much happy with this order.

Ciel bit her lip in frustration. So that was why Merem had called her here. It was to warn her. Since she was the executor in charge of Misaki, she was bond to eventually hear of strange events in Fuyuki and might have come to investigate them. But the Magic Association didn't want any presence of the Church this time. Normally, Ciel would have told those magi off to Hell, but since this was also agreed by her superiors, she couldn't risk exposure and trigger an open conflict between the two organizations.

Clearly seeing no other way around, the executress sighed in reluctant concession. "Very well, it seems it really can't be helped," but then shot a glare towards Kirei. "But be warned, Kotomine. If anything like that happens again, I won't forgive you."

"Oh, I would never dream of fighting the seventh of the Burial Agency," Kirei condescended, holding up his palms as if feigning innocence. Ciel wondered if he was being sincere or only mocking her.

She wouldn't waste time trying to figure it out and simply decided to leave. The message was given and she had no more reason to hang around, even if she did make a point of keeping an eye in the news about Fuyuki. That and if she stayed any longer, she would ended up losing her cool and resort to violence against the priest.

"If that's all, then I shall take my leave," she declared in cold politeness.

"Sure," Kirei politely acquiesced. "Caren sends her regards, by the way." Caren Hortensia was another Church member with whom Ciel was acquainted and, surprisingly, she was Kirei's daughter. Hard to imagine that such an angelic girl could be born of a devilish man like Kirei.

Ciel turned around and made her way to the door, leaving the two men to their own devices. But before that...

"Hey," she said, two steps to the door. "Do you know of any place around that serves curry?" She might as well eat something before the long return trip to Misaki.

Neither the two men said anything, until Kirei spoke up. "I am not sure about curry, but I would recommend the mapo tofu of Taishan, in the Shinto district."

Ciel made a face at that. "Thanks, but I'll pass. Mapo tofu doesn't suit my taste."

As she crossed the door out, she was sure to have heard Kirei's muttering something in the lines of "You have much to learn in regards of appreciating fine cuisine." Unnecessary to say, Ciel had to suppress an urge to go back there and shove a Black Key through that priest's stomach. Instead, she just headed off to the local station.

'Curry will always be the best, after all,' she thought.

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****Sometime in 2001.****

****A/N: the mission with Kirei and Narbareck to capture Blackmore is a shoutout to the fic 'Devil's Thrill', to which this story is complementary. It's in the same crossover section and I definitely recommend it.****


	5. Fact 05 - A Day in the Clock Tower

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 05 – A DAY IN THE CLOCK TOWER<strong>

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Characters: Kayneth Archibald, Sola-Ui Sophia-Ri, Waver Velvet (Fate Stay Night), Cornelius Alba, Touko Aozaki, Souren Araya (Kara no Kyoukai)

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The British Museum. A great piece of architecture built in the 18th century, located in the very heart of London. Famous for its great collection of Antiquities and Pre-Columbian artifacts, it was daily visited by thousands of people, among tourists and locals.

That was, of course, the most known facet of the place. There was another though. One more hidden, and visited by a much more select group.

And this occult facet was the Clock Tower, the main branch of the Magic Association. Among its sisters branches, Atlas and the Sea of Stray, the Clock Tower was the one that held the most power and influence over the world's magi population.

And it was within this place, far from the eyes of the non-initiated in magecraft, that a fierce battle was occurring. On what looked like an indoors arena, overlooked by high balconies for spectators, two individuals stood several feet in front of other, exchanging what seemed element-based spells in controlled turns. Yes, controlled turns, because, for all the fierceness of the battle, it was still a duel between magi. And such combats must always be conducted as duels of gentlemen.

One of these individuals was a tall blond man, late twenties to early thirties, short combed hair and dressed in finely tailored navy-blue robes. His most noticeable feature though was the massive silver sphere swirling around him and pulsing like a giant amoeba. The other individual was also a tall blond man in his early thirties, but with long straight hair and dressed in an equally fine wine-red coat with a matching hat. His correspondent feature were the numerous flicks of blue flames around him, spontaneously sprouting out of the thin air.

"_Scalp!_" the first ordered, to which the silver sphere grew two thin tentacles and slashed them toward the opponent.

"_Let my will be my fist and strike you down,_" the second magus said his incantations in less than a second. The small flicks instantly turned into a large wall of blue flames that simultaneously protected its caster and vaporized the attacking silvery appendages.

But the first magus wasn't deterred by it and with another command, six new ribbons emerged from the silver globe and advanced onto the adversary from the sides, avoiding the flame wall.

"_Again!_" The other man repeated the spell, creating a fiery wave that spread out laterally and vaporized the first approaching tentacles. "_Again!_" The spell was cast a third time, finishing the remaining tentacles off.

As the exchange ceased, so did the flames and silence ensued between the duelers. In a magi duel, this in-between period was usually reserved to peruse the transpired phenomena to the moment, and to make observations on each other's mysteries.

Just as well for boasting.

"My, my," the magus dressed in red smugly commented. "Did you skip your chemistry lectures back in school, Lord El-Melloi? Mercury has its boiling point at 356.73ºC, while my flames can easily reach one thousand degrees. There's no way this Mystic Code of yours can surpass my Pyromancy."

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald grimaced slightly at his opponent's taunting, but responded with his own comment. "I am well acquainted with the elemental properties of my _Volumen Hydrargyrum_, Director Alba. And you would do well in not deluding yourself about the chances of your fire magecraft."

"Oh," Cornelius Alba grinned, all-too-confident. "Shall we put it to test then?" Not waiting for an answer, Cornelius started chanting his Aria, the complete one this time, since it was his turn to attack. "_False shadow, who can neither touch nor see, let the light of my Art cast you into oblivion. Let my will be my fist and strike you down._"

With a wave of his arm, a massive sea of flames erupted out of nowhere and advanced towards Kayneth.

"_Fervor, mei sanguis,_" Kayneth quickly called his own Aria out. His mercury defense immediately shot out to protect its master before the flames engulfed him.

For several moments, nothing could be seen in the arena half where the Archibald heir once stood, as the flames covered it completely. If not for the powerful boundary fields that isolated the entire hall, the fire alarms of the British Museum would have been set off. Heck, the duel in itself would have already attracted a lot of outside attention, had it not been for the fields. The sheer noise and the crackles of light made the whole place look like a war zone.

The heat of the flames could be felt even on the faces of the small audience that had gathered on both sides of the balconies.

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Sola-Ui Nuade-Re Sophia-Ri wasn't pleased at all, by the sour look on her pretty face.

And for two reasons: first and foremost, that only days ago her father, the Head of the Spiritual Evocation Department of the Clock Tower, had announced her engagement with Kayneth, _without_ her prior consent. And no matter how much she complained about it, her stupid, headstrong of a father wouldn't call it off.

Second, that she had been dragged by her fiancé to watch this ridiculous duel between him and the Director of the Sponheim Abbey, an institution of the Sea of Stray. Kayneth had called it an 'academic field demonstration', this being the reason several of his students were present with her. But Sola-Ui knew that Kayneth was only being a show-off, as a means to impress both her (to which he was failing miserably) and his pupils (to which he was being considerably more successful, as some of the youngsters were ooh and ahh'ing).

All that considered, the moment she saw Director Alba engulfing her fiancé with a sea of flames, in the back of her mind she wished for him to be burnt to a crisp, so she wouldn't have to go through that arranged marriage. But she knew her wish would fall in deaf ears, for there was no way the prick would go down that easily.

Naturally, her conclusions were proved right when the flames finally receded and, instead of Kayneth, there was the massive metal dome. But its surface wasn't smooth as the previous form, but composed of interlaced silver tubes, making it akin to a giant yarn ball.

And despite the intense heat of the attack, the _Volumen Hydrargyrum_ hadn't been vaporized at all. In fact, it wasn't even scorched, much to Cornelius' surprise.

"But how..." Cornelius questioned in astonishment, just as the 'yarn ball' uncoiled itself and revealed the Archibald heir again.

"A fancy move, Director," Kayneth said, in a condescending tone. "But lacking in efficiency. You spread the heat over a too large area, therefore a localized, concentrated cooling system is capable of resisting against it. I shifted my _Volumen Hydrargyrum_ into many layers of hydraulic tubes which, combined with my Elemental Affinity of Water, became a convective heat transfer system, very similar to the coils of a refrigerator."

Kayneth then turned his attention to the audience composed by his fiancée and students and assumed a lecturing stance. "Take notes, young ones: an efficient flow of Prana in combination with the right Elemental Affinity can overcome the physiological limitations of the matter. As per the demonstration, my Mystic Code has been proofed not only against extreme temperatures, but also electricity, mechanical pressure and even a direct _Gandr_ shot. Nothing less than the 'Ultimate Shield', you may call it."

Sola rolled her eyes while some of her fiancé's pupils were eagerly writing down the lesson. Honestly, if she received a dime for each time Kayneth stoked his ego, she would have already enough to buy out the entire city. For all his geniality, the man was just as equally arrogant. Even during his lectures, rarely a second passed without him bragging about himself or any past accomplishment he had.

"Losing you touch, Alba?" Sola heard someone shout from the balcony on the arena's opposite side. When she glanced at it, she saw two figures who apparently also had arrived to watch the duel. One of them, the most noticeable one, was a large man, dressed in a pitch black coat and beads around his neck. Some sort of monk, he seemed. Sola had seen the guy only a few times, but even from this afar, she could feel his overwhelming dark presence, the grim look on his face being enough to send chills of dread down her spine.

But it was the second person, a bespectacled woman (and the likely source of that shout), that made Sola frown. She looked very young, probably in her early twenties, and wore what one could take for a parochial school uniform. And just like Sola, her hair was also a fiery red, except that while Sola's was shoulder-length, the girl's reached her middle back. However, it wasn't the hair coloring the reason of her dislike for the girl.

No, it was because Touko Aozaki was a prodigy magus, one who could easily rival Sola's own skills. And there was no way she would accept an inferior magus from that backwater island of Japan as her equal.

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The expression on Cornelius' face was priceless when she mocked him, Touko thought. She knew, better than anyone, how much he hated being caught in the middle of an awkward situation.

"What are you doing here, Aozaki?" Cornelius shouted, pointing an accusatory finger to her. "Did you come only to torment me?"

"My, my, is that your way of showing appreciation?" Touko shook her head, in mockery hurt. "Me and Araya have heard you were taking part in a duel and come all the way only to root for you."

The large man beside her, Souren Araya, didn't seem to share from her enthusiasm though. "I still think it is a waste of time, Aozaki," he berated, stoically as ever.

"Come on, don't say that. What kind of friends we'd be if we weren't there for him every time he got his ass kicked? Besides..." Touko waved her head at the balcony on the other side. "Alba's opponent has his own supporters."

She could spot several of Lord El-Melloi's students on the opposite balcony, just as Sola-Ui Sophia-Ri, the daughter of the Head of the Spiritual Evocation Department. It didn't escape her the glare that the other redhead was giving her, and Touko could imagine why. The Clock Tower had a very elitist background, where it was an unspoken rule that only magi of European ancestry were considered truly worthy of recognition. The fact that someone like her, an Asian magus barely in her twenties, had achieved the rank of Master might have certainly bruised a lot of egos in the upper echelons.

"Just you watch, Aozaki!" An owner of a bruised ego shouted up from the arena. "You will see what the descendant of Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim is really capable of."

"Please," Touko heard Cornelius' adversary comment, condescendingly. "The mere fact that you share a distant kinship with the ancient occultist is not a testament of skill. Your attachment to such a remote relationship is almost hilarious to see."

"Oh," Cornelius turned back to Kayneth, reverting back to his inflated-ego mode. "Says the one who keeps boasting about the nine generations of magi in his family, despite that this time frame pales in comparison to the origin of my magic roots in the 16th century."

"Heh," Kayneth let out a huff. "You seem to forget that during these nine generations the Archibald have endured the greatest trials, from the deluded fools of the Golden Dawn to the fanatics of the House of Un-American Activities Committee, from the Crash of 1929 to the Oil Crisis of 1973. Yet our nobility and Thaumaturgical Crest survive to the date.

"Really?" Cornelius scoffed in disdain. "Then let be known that the Cornelius lineage has gone through greater trials for much longer. We survived the Robespierre's Great Terror, the farces of the Thule Society and even the STASI's prosecutions. And don't get me started with..."

"Are you going to chit-chat about History," Touko interrupted them aloud. "Or are you going to continue the duel?"

The two duelers glared up at the female magus, who was leaning on the banister without a care in the world, looking almost bored. Araya, on the other hand, stood still, his back straight as a rod and his face, stern. It looked like he hadn't moved an inch from his spot ever since they arrived, despite not being interested in the battle from the beginning.

It wasn't like Cornelius' gloating was anything new to Touko and Araya. Lord El-Melloi surely wasn't humble about his own abilities, but Cornelius didn't stay behind in that department. In fact, ever since a mission he had gone ages ago, the Director had been insufferable. Apparently it had been a cleansing operation in a remote place called Alimango Island, where a Sealing Designation by the name of Norikata Emiya was conducting experiments on vampirism. The purging of the island had been thorough, but success had been only partial because by the time the team found Norikata, he was already dead with a head shot. Still, it had been enough to give Cornelius many nights of storytelling.

She was sure that the Agrippa's descendant had accepted this duel with the _Euryphis_ professor only as another addition to his already vast collection of ego boosts.

The battle then continued on, as Touko's interruption never happened.

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Kayneth's students watched as the duel got more and more heated (literally!). They saw the liquid metal clashing against the azure flames, the two switching between offense and defense, in a hypnotic dance of silver and blue. One of the youngsters, however, didn't really have his mind on the battle, but rather on what had been discussed before.

Waver Velvet was thinking on how his professor and Director Alba were boasting about their magic lineages and how ancient they were. In the world of Thaumaturgy, age equaled power. The more generations a magi bloodline had, the greater its power. That was believed because a common person's lifespan wasn't long enough to refine a technique to its ultimate potential. Hence, when magi reached the end of their lives, they passed on all their acquired knowledge to their descendants, who would continue their work until it was time to renew the cycle. Based on such conclusion, Waver's family, which was only three generations long, stood at the bottom of the Association's hierarchy.

But Waver didn't agree with that. For him, limiting a magus' potential just to their bloodline age was a very narrow point of view. For him, a better understanding of the techniques, in junction with a more precise prana control, could overcome the lineage boundary.

And he was determined to prove it. That was why he was devoting every minute of his available time into writing his thesis, entitled 'How Wizardry Should Be in the New Century'. And after countless hours of data gathering, thick piles of books read and even money of his already meager funds spent, Waver was finally about to see the fruits of his hard work. It would be just a few more days until he concluded his thesis, so he could send it to Lord El-Melloi.

His professor would _surely_ be proud of his revolutionary work.

Unearthly moans coming from the arena drew his attention back to the duel. He widened his eyes at the ghostly, shrouded forms appearing in the air behind Kayneth.

'Wraiths!' Waver thought, recognizing the floating creatures. Kayneth wasn't a _Euryphis_ lecturer for nothing. Magic summoning was among his talents. And he was just about to use it against his adversary.

The wraiths descended on Cornelius, screaming and sending chills down Waver's spine. Before they reached their target though, the Director chanted something that was too fast for Waver to understand. In no time, the air seemed to distort around Cornelius, as if he was a mirage in the desert. The wraiths got disintegrated the moment they touched the layer of distorted air, inhumanly shrieking as they died. It was only when the young magus felt the room temperature rise that he learned what it was. A heat shield, so hot that even from this afar, it was already producing beads of sweat on his face and on everyone else in the audience. The conjurer himself though, seemed unaffected by the heat.

After what had felt like an eternity, the spell finally was called off and the temperature returned to normal. Both duelers stood where they were, casting glares at each other, none making any move. Several seconds had passed until one of them decided to speak.

"It seems that this duel has dragged itself for far too long," Kayneth said, calmly. And it was true, actually. Waver didn't keep time, but it had been certainly almost two hours by then.

"Indeed," Cornelius agreed, mirroring his opponent's tone. "And either of us is yet to best the other."

"Then I guess this duel has just turned pointless," Kayneth concluded. "We could stay here the whole day and most likely remain in the same situation. I have, however, more important issues to address."

"A... _draw_, then." Cornelius practically spit the word, sounding dismayed by such a result.

"Yes, a draw." Kayneth acquiesced, looking equally dismayed.

Both magi then exchanged the customary praises on each other's abilities by the end of the duel, but Waver knew there was nothing sincere about them. They did it more out of professional decorum than genuine admiration. When the two men left the arena and toward their respective audiences, Waver could see the show was finally over.

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Later that night, in his personal office, Kayneth sat comfortably on his mahogany and leather chair, giving his fiancée his customary gloating over the day's duel.

"That was a duel?" Sola scorned, coldly. "It looked more like you and the Director were playing dodgeball while throwing tantrums at each other. Next time, you might as well settle it with a checkers game. It would save us the time." She didn't wait for a reply and simply left the office, going home for the day.

Kayneth eyed in shock the door through which Sola had exited, his dignity hurt. He was aware that his fiancée hadn't been much thrilled by their arranged marriage, but he never expected her to treat him so coldly. All this time he had been trying to impress her, to prove himself worthy of her affections. Nonetheless, the redhead had shown him nothing except disdain so far.

The Archibald heir gripped the armrests tightly, holding himself not to swear out loud his frustration. A knock on the door snapped him back to the present.

"WHAT?" He lashed out, taking out his anger on whoever was disturbing him at this hour.

"Uh, pardon, Milord," a mousy maid timidly entered the office, no doubt scared by his outburst. On her hands, a tray with a sealed envelope. "But I have brought a message of your family. It is labeled urgent."

He beckoned her to enter and took the message of the tray, the maid leaving quickly afterwards. She wasn't lying, the envelope bore a wax seal with the crest of the Archibald. Such seal was only used when his parents deemed urgency. He opened it and read the message carefully.

Slowly, his mouth curved into a toothy grin.

'The Fourth Grail War has been confirmed,' he excitedly thought. 'And the family wants _me_ to be their representative!'

What a perfect opportunity! What better chance to prove his greatness not just to Sola, but to the entire Magic Association, than winning the famous Heaven's Feel tournament? Oh, the glory that awaited him...

There was still four years until the war began. But he already knew his next step: a call to his associates in Macedonia.

.

Cornelius Alba was in a horrible mood. Absolutely horrible.

One of the human-sized dolls in his workshop fell to the ground, turned into ashes. It wasn't the only thing Cornelius had charred inside the room that night, and hadn't it been for the workshop's fire-proof boundary fields, the entire building would have already been set on fire.

How dared she? That blasted Touko Aozaki. How dared she mock him on the duel?

He could remember her exact words when they had left the arena earlier that day. 'Congratulations, Alba. You managed to get a draw in a perfect battle, in a perfectly controlled environment and under perfectly strict rules. You should be proud of yourself.'

"AOZAKI!" He screamed in rage, setting another doll in fire. Just the memory of that was enough to stir his nerves up.

He couldn't accept it. He would _never_ accept it. Touko Aozaki, an Asian magus in her early twenties, with no background in the study of Runes and Puppetry, had not long ago _surpassed_ him in these two fields. Him, the descendant of the illustrious Cornelius Agrippa. Him, who despite his young appearance, had long past four decades of existence, at least three of them dedicated solely to the study of magecraft. How was that even possible?

And yet she dared looking down on him! He cursed the day when he befriended those two Japanese magi. Araya, of course, wasn't very high in his hate list, but that was mostly because the weird Buddhist monk never bothered to talk much in first place. Aozaki, on the other hand... she always would be his arch-nemesis, his eternal tormentor.

A mental flare brought him out of his reverie. It was a communication request from his familiar. Like many magi, Cornelius always left a few familiars around the Clock Tower's grounds in order to spy on the other members. One could never be too careful in a place where backstabbing was the rule. This one came from a rat familiar stationed near the Room of the Lords.

"The girl is talented, no doubt," he heard through the familiar's ears.

"She is the sixth generation of the Aozaki clan."

"That heretic lineage from Japan?"

"Regardless, they were the finders of the 5th Magic. This should be taken into consideration."

"And the girl has mastered the mysteries of Runecraft and Puppetry at the age of 20? Amazing!"

A silence ensued, until one of the voices spoke again.

"I think we are all in agreement. Touko Aozaki shall receive the Sealing Designation of Puppetry. We will notify her of our decision soon."

The communication link with the familiar was cut. Not due to interference, but because Cornelius simply couldn't maintain the connection anymore. He was too damn joyful to do that. His mind was too damn excited to keep the link stable.

Did he hear it right? Aozaki, a Sealing Designation? He tried to hold the excitement down, but in the end it became too much to contain and he squealed like a teenage girl.

Oh, he couldn't wait until the Lords gave her the news. He would definitely be there to see the smug expression on that bitch's face disappear. And with luck, they might as well put her Designation under his care, since he was also a Master Puppeteer.

For too long he awaited the opportunity to get back at Touko Aozaki.

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****Sometime in 1990.****


	6. Fact 06 - Last Days of the Nanaya

**I do not own Fate Stay Night, Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai. They belong to Nasu Kinoko and TYPE-MOON.**

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><p><strong>FACT 06 – LAST DAYS OF THE NANAYA<strong>

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Characters: Kiri Nanaya, Makihisa Tohno (Tsukihime), Shiki Ryougi (Kara no Kyoukai)

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The sound of steel clashing echoed through the room. Inside the large dojo, two figures, one large and one small, exchanged swift strikes, then quickly backed away, only to repeat the process over and over.

The large figure was a black-haired adult man, early thirties, but looking much older due to the age lines and the permanent frown on his face. For maneuverability purposes, he wasn't wearing the traditional loose kimono, but a fitter, black version. His weapon of choice was a short _tanto_ blade in opposition to his opponent's long _katana_, yet its length didn't seem to hinder his skills in the slightest. In fact, along with his impressive agility, it was giving him the edge so far.

The small figure was a young girl, no older than thirteen, who could be easily mistaken for a boy due to her haircut. Clad in a gray _kendo_ kimono, she clearly didn't have as much experience as her opponent, but knew enough to put up a fight. Still, even armed with the longer _katana_, it was an uphill battle for her.

Sparks flew every time their blades came in contact. Even if it was only a sparring session, most onlookers would swear they were going for real blood.

Not that the impression would be entirely wrong though. For these two duelers were born killers in the most literal sense. Deadly skills had been ingrained in their very genes, passed down their lineages for generations. A fact that very few knew about Kiri Nanaya, the head of the Nanaya clan, and Shiki Ryougi, the heiress of the Ryougi clan.

One wrong step of Shiki was all Kiri needed to set the battle. In a split second, he dodged her sword, ducked below his opponent's waistline and slid on the wooden floor. With a quick sweep, Kiri made Shiki lose her footing and she fell on her rear. Instinctively she lifted her sword to defend herself while on the floor, but it was too late: Kiri already had his blade's edge on her neck before she knew it.

From her position, Shiki wouldn't be able to angle her sword towards her opponent before he cut her jugular. The sparring was over.

"You got me," she sighed, slightly disappointed, lowering her weapon as a sign of defeat.

With a nod, Kiri wordlessly took the blade off her neck and offered a hand to help her up, which she accepted. As a finish ritual, they bowed to each other and then turned towards the other person in the room, who had been watching the entire spar silently.

"How do you judge Shiki's abilities, Nanaya?" asked the stern-faced, middle-aged man, arms crossed and his posture unfaltering.

"Your daughter's skills are commendable, Ryougi-san," Kiri answered in business tone. "She has great potential as a swordswoman and in a few years she might be ready to succeed the family."

Mr. Ryougi nodded in approval, his expression always stern. Then he turned to his daughter. "Shiki, you lost your balance on the last step. Remember: always keep your weight equally distributed on your feet."

"Yes, father," Shiki nodded evenly, doing her best to hide her annoyance with her father. She hated when he kept pointing out her mistakes and patronizing her. Gee, give it a break, can't he?

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Hours later, Kiri and Mr. Ryougi were talking along the wooden porch of the Ryougi mansion, overlooking the Japanese-styled garden. Akitaka had taken Shiki to school about an hour ago, so it was just the two of them.

"I appreciate that you have come all the way from Nagano to train my daughter, Nanaya." Mr. Ryougi said, in his ever stern voice, keeping his face forward as he walked.

"Think nothing of it, Ryougi-san," Kiri replied while walking, not maintaining visual contact either. "Now that my family is retired of the hunting business, we'll need all the support we can get from the other families."

Despite the fact that the Demon Hunter Organization was composed of four main families in Japan, they actually maintained very little contact with each other. The Asagami had left the organization generations ago, becoming interbred with demons themselves. The Fujou were on the verge of collapse with their only heiress terminally ill. Only the Nanaya and the Ryougi still kept some degree of relationship. Even so, interaction between the two clans was very sporadic, since that the Nanaya chose to live in a secluded mansion in the Nagano mountains, while the Ryougi lived in the bursting city of Mifune.

Still, the head of the Ryougi wanted only the best for his daughter and future leader of the clan. That was why he had requested that Kiri Nanaya, considered the organization's best fighter, gave Shiki some lessons in swordsmanship. A request that Kiri had accepted without much fuss. The only odd thing about it was that the lessons should be with _real_ swords, instead of wooden ones. Apparently, the use of real blades even in training was a tradition in the Ryougi clan (the argument was that it made the user's mind sharper).

"So you finally retired, uh? I wonder why though. You, the Nanaya, were always the best in that field than any of us."

"It's as you said once, such ability is no longer necessary in modern days. Demons are not much of a threat nowadays, so it was about time we found a new path."

"Is that so?" The older man though was a little skeptical about it. The demon threat had been dwindling for many centuries by then, that being the reason the Ryougi had left the business in first place. The Nanaya, however, had stubbornly refused to abandon their long-ingrained tradition. They continued to hunt down the remaining half-demons for many years and didn't seem willing to stop anytime soon. But why now? Of all the times, why now did the family's head finally decide to hang up the shoes? "But is it the only reason?"

Kiri remained in silent for several moments, as if pondering what (or whether) he should say.

"There _is_ another reason, actually," the head of the Nanaya decided to tell. There was no harm in letting the Ryougi know about it. "I wish for a different life for my son."

It was the truth. Kiri couldn't exactly explain why, but it was. And ironically, as far as he remembered, he had _never_ wanted to be a father to begin with. A child was something he had always deemed unnecessary and that would only weight him down in his assassin career. Even when his wife had gotten pregnant, he didn't give it much thought and intended to leave the raising up to his wife.

Of course, until he actually _saw_ the newborn baby. Kiri couldn't understand it even now, but the moment he saw his son... it was as if his entire world had been turned upside down. He had felt a strong urge to protect that child, to change his own ways, and... to make sure that boy would _not_ follow the same path as his. It was said that the apple never fell far from the tree. Well, Kiri was determined to prove that saying wrong.

"So the rumors that you had a child are true, I take it?" Mr. Ryougi looked at his fellow clan leader for the first time in the talk.

"Yes, Shiki's turned eight not long ago. My wife gave him the same name as your daughter, but written with the _kanji_ of 'resolve' and 'honor'. I hope you don't mind."

Mr. Ryougi raised an eyebrow at the prospect of the heirs of both families bearing the same name, but shrugged it off. Even if the pronounce was the same, the writing was different and the children were still of opposite sexes.

It was not like the children would have _anything_ else in common besides the name anyway.

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The chilling wind cut through the mountain forest, while the full moon shone beautifully in the dark sky. This was the kind of scenery that foretold another tranquil night in the lonely Nagano mountains.

Except that it was not going to remain tranquil for long. And neither it was lonely, considering the group of people gathering at the foothill, hidden under the canopy of the trees.

Such group certainly didn't consist of eccentric tourists doing a night hiking. The balaclava masks, the protection vests and, most important, the heavy weaponry they carried were a dead giveaway of their intentions. They were an assault group, whose target lay a few miles up the mountain.

One of the masked men strayed from the group and headed towards a nearby limousine, parked among the black vans.

"Makihisa-dono," the man knocked on the limo's window. "All preparations are done. Shall we start?"

Inside the car, a scrawny, middle-aged man in an expensive suit seemed deep in thought until the masked man's report. At first sight, he just looked like a feeble, anemic old man. But appearances could be deceiving, as anyone who knew him would testify. For this man was no one else than Makihisa Tohno, the head of the wealthy Tohno clan and possessor of the demon blood.

That was the night Makihisa had been waiting for a long time. The night when he would settle the score of a war that had been happening for many generations. The night when the Half-Demons would give a grievous blow at their long-standing enemies, the Demon Hunters.

That particular night hadn't been chosen at random. Intel had told Makihisa that the head of the Nanaya clan had traveled to Mifune City, and that he would be arriving late that night. That was the perfect opportunity: the Nanaya would be defenseless in their isolated mansion and, by the time Kiri returned, his entire family would be slaughtered, leaving only him to be dealt with. That was a move he would never see coming, being deceived by that false promise of truce.

A _truce_. Makihisa scoffed at the word. What a joke. As if the Tohno would actually agree to such a ridiculous proposal. As if generations of slaughter on both sides could simply be forgiven and forgotten just because Kiri wanted to 'retire' of the business. No, as long as Kiri Nanaya existed, Makihisa's own family, his own _kind_ would never be truly safe.

And that was what he was going to do that night. To ensure that his arch-nemesis wouldn't exist anymore.

Stepping out of the car, Makihisa inspected the assault team he had hired. A group armed to the teeth like this should be more than enough to take the Nanaya out, but he wasn't so sure about Kiri. The prodigy assassin wasn't someone who should be underestimated, so to make sure his objective would be met, he decided to use his secret weapon.

"We will enforce this operation," he announced to the team leader and then knocked on the limo's passenger window. "Let's go."

On the passenger's seat sat a large and very muscular man, apparently oblivious to the older man's order. However, Makihisa knew that the man had heard him.

For Kouma Kishima had as much reasons to kill Kiri Nanaya as he had.

.

"_A human can only murder once in their lives."_

"_Only once, grandfather?"_

"_Yes, a lifetime has room for only one murder. This one is always the most important decision. After this, the humans who have committed massacres can no longer die a human death."_

The dying words of her grandfather echoed through Shiki Ryougi's mind while she stoically watched the large flames of the funeral pyre. Together with her stood her father, her mother, her older brother, her caretaker Akitaka and a few family representatives she had never seen before.

And inside the pyre were the remains of the unfortunate Nanaya clan members, who had been killed by unknown assailants days ago. Scratch 'killed', 'butchered' sounded more accurate. The entire family had been torn to pieces in the woods outside their mansion. The authorities had found headless, armless and legless bodies scattered everywhere, the whole glade turned into a pool of blood. The only body that seemed in better condition was that of the family's head Kiri, and even so it was bloodied, full of cuts and burns. Therefore Kiri's body was the only one they could be sure of being fully cremated in the pyre. If someone was missing, they wouldn't be able to tell.

Regardless so, this definitely didn't qualify as 'dying a human death' in Shiki's book.

The Ryougi clan carried a secret trait. A powerful skill that was passed on from one generation to another, and whoever inherited that skill would be the next head of family. But as a collateral effect, that genetic trait also caused the possessor to develop murderous impulses. So, in order to prevent the family's head from becoming a mindless killer, the Ryougi had to ensure their heirs understood the responsibility of murder.

And that was why Shiki took her grandfather's teachings to heart. As the Ryougi heiress, she could feel the killing impulses even now, but she should never give in to them. This was the most important principle she followed: the difference between murder and massacre. When a person murders another, they put on a scale their emotion towards the victim and their human dignity, and then throw one away. That way, they pay the price of murder and carry the sin's weight for the rest of their lives. A massacre, on the other hand, bears no scale, no price. The killer kills, but doesn't carry the sin's weight. They no longer have the common dignity of men, thus they are no longer humans. So when they die, they don't die as humans. That was the core of her grandfather's teachings.

Her father had once told her that the Nanaya also developed such killing impulses. It was what made them so good at their demon hunting business. She was even told that the Nanaya and the Ryougi shared a common ancestor, that being the reason the impulse thing was like a shared curse. That also was the reason the Ryougi had arranged the funeral: with the entire family dead, the remains had gone to the nearest related people, who happened to be them.

That made Shiki wonder then: to die like this, did Kiri and the Nanaya commit massacres? Were they no longer deserving of dying as humans?

"_Farewell, Shiki. I will not wish you a peaceful life, for people like us cannot hope for one. But at least I can wish you a peaceful death."_

She remembered her grandfather's last words. Was Kiri's death peaceful? Or was it full of grief? From what she could see, the answer was obvious.

And what about whoever was responsible for the Nanaya's death? Were they shouldering the weight of their sin right now, or were they destined to die in the same way?

For such a question Shiki probably would never know the answer. So she continued to watch the morbid flames with emotionless eyes.

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****A/N: I wish I knew the names of Shiki Ryougi's parents, but never found them :(****

****Sometime in 1992.****


End file.
